1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to building materials, and particularly to a snap-in-place building block with a molded in place exterior veneer that can self-level and self-plumb.
2. Description of the Related Art
Walls for homes, schools, hospitals and other residential and commercial buildings are constructed from a variety of materials, such as wood, brick, synthetic materials, stone and concrete blocks. Concrete block construction is conventionally done with hollow cored cement masonry units (“CMU's”). The CMU's are typically sealed in place with mortar so that the hollow cores of the CMU's face upwards. The hollow cores are sometimes filled with insulation, concrete, rebar, or some other type of filler.
In concrete block construction, a foundation is laid and then a row, called a “course,” of concrete blocks are set in mortar on the foundation. Another layer of mortar is placed on top of the fist course and a second course is then laid. In this manner a block wall is constructed, but to achieve a block wall that is both level and plumb, a great deal of time and skill is required. The time and skill required to build a concrete block wall raises construction costs. Another problem with concrete block walls is that in their unfinished state they do not present a very pleasant appearance and therefore require finishing. Finishing a concrete block wall usually involves attaching a veneer, or painting, applying stucco, or attaching some other type of siding system. The finishing of a concrete block wall also requires considerable skill and can add substantial cost to construction.
Several devices have been put forward to address some of the problems in block wall construction. A variety of interlocking blocks have been suggested to eliminate the need for mortar and to self-level and self-plumb block walls. Most of the interlocking blocks contain grooves and protrusions that fit together. This has not been found to be an effective solution for concrete blocks because the grooves and protrusions cannot be formed to precise enough tolerances during manufacturing. That means the blocks must be modified by hand, which greatly detracts from their cost effectiveness. The problem of adding siding or veneers to building blocks has also not been adequately addressed. Block wall systems exist that may have veneers or siding attached, but none currently exist that have an exterior veneer integrated into the block itself. Thus, a snap-in-place building block solving the aforementioned problems is desired.